Summary

The Sparta Aquifer is a minor aquifer extending across East and South Texas, parallel to the Gulf of Mexico coastline and about 100 miles inland. Water is contained within a part of the Claiborne Group known as the Sparta Formation, a sand-rich unit interbedded with silt and clay layers and with massive sand beds in the bottom section. The thickness of the formation changes gradually from more than 700 feet at the Sabine River to about 200 feet in South Texas. Freshwater saturated thickness averages about 120 feet.

In outcrop areas and for a few miles in the subsurface, the water is usually fresh, with an average concentration of 300 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids; however, water quality deteriorates with depth (below about 2,000 feet), where groundwater has an average concentration of 800 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids. Excess iron concentrations are common throughout the aquifer.

Water from the aquifer is predominantly used for domestic and livestock purposes, and its quality has not been significantly impacted by pumping. Elkhart Creek Springs originates from the Sparta Sand in Houston County and flows at a rate of as much as 3.4 cubic feet per second. In some areas, such as in Houston and Brazos counties, the aquifer is used for municipal, industrial, and irrigation purposes. No significant water level declines have been detected throughout the aquifer in wells measured by the TWDB.